INVESTIGATION OF DYNAMIC WATER PENETRATION TESTS FOR CURTAIN WALLING

The currently available dynamic water penetration test for curtain wal ling (to an American Standard) uses an aero engine to generate the dyn amic wind conditions. This test is included in the Standard and guide to good practice for curtain walling produced by the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology. However, while the CEN standard for curtain walling currently being drafted is likely to include a dynamic water p enetration test, it may be of a different form because of concerns abo ut the reproducibility of the test conditions produced by the aero eng ine. This paper presents an investigation of the wind conditions produ ced at the face of a curtain wall test specimen by a wind generator du ring a dynamic water penetration test. Measurements were taken of wind velocities, pressures and deflection and these are compared with stan dard estimates to determine whether or not the test was repeatable and could be considered a meaningful representation of a real environment . It was demonstrated that this dynamic test included behaviour modes which a static test could not (e.g. pumping of the seals), produced co nditions similar to those which may be encountered in practice (especi ally water flow) and was repeatable. Furthermore, the present test is highly popular with specifiers as a means of verifying performance pri or to erection on site.